Remove an ATX Motherboard
If your computers run into various problems, removing an ATX standard motherboard will likely be an experience you will regretfully dive into. It's not difficult, if you've read this How-to.
Contents
Steps
- Begin by shutting down your computer and removing all cables from the case.
- Make sure you are in a static-free environment, with rubber-soled shoes on. It is good practice to have an anti-static wrist-wrap attached and clipped on to something metal. It is also frequently suggested to touch things metal, other than your computer, while working with sensitive computer parts.
- Remove all screws holding the outer shell of your desktop or tower and slide off the metal casing.
- Lay your tower down on it's right side, so that the open left panel is facing the ceiling.
- Take a mental picture, or draw out a simple diagram displaying all of your drives, cables, and expansion cards. Note to what cables, and in what order each device is connected to.
- Remove any cables plugging into the large square/rectangular motherboard at the opposite side of the case.
- Unscrew all screws holding your expansion cards(video card, network card, sound card, etc) to the case.
- Gently remove the expansion cards by grasping the metal support cover and the very edges of the circuit board. Place them either inside an anti-static bag or on a smooth, static-free surface out of the way.
- Tuck all of the cables remaining unhooked behind the metal bracket of your hard drives, or in an empty slot beneath your CD-ROM drives, as to get them out of the way.
- Locate and remove all screws securing the motherboard to the motherboard tray behind it. Make sure to save all washers and screws you find and set them aside in an order you will be able to understand when you replace them.
- Grasp the main board at the two shorter sides and lift it up by tilting the drive side up first, release the I/O cluster from the case, then lift straight out.
- Place the motherboard on a large anti-static bag, paper-bag, cardboard box, or table carefully. Make sure the area you are placing it is more than stable and open for your usage.
Tips
- By tilting the motherboard so the right side points down into the case and the left side that contains your back-panel ports up, the motherboard will evade some drives that may be near "in-the-way" and come free much easier.
- If your case has a removable motherboard tray (not likely if you didn't custom build it), you can simply remove the tray (usually pull towards the back on the right side) so you can easily work on it.
- Having areas set out to place you computer parts as they are removed is a more than helpful step that is recommended to be taken.
Warnings
- Static electricity can harm your computer in nearly unnoticeable ways, all operations of such a nature should be acted on with the most strict preparation and precautions.
